Drones, dive team and volunteers assist in search for vulnerable missing man Michael Dennington

Nottinghamshire officers, the force’s dive and drone teams and 35 volunteers from Nottinghamshire Search and Rescue Team have stepped up their search for missing man Michael Dennington this morning.

The 58-year-old, who has strong links to both Newark and Ollerton, has been missing for over three weeks now and officers are now searching a large area of Mansfield, including King's Mill Reservoir.

The vulnerable man was last sighted on CCTV footage from King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, as he left at around 3.24pm on Tuesday, May 26.

Michael is described as being of a slim build, 5ft 2ins tall with dark brown, short hair. He was last seen wearing grey jogging bottoms, white trainers and a black waist-length jacket.

Nottinghamshire Police’s Missing From Home Team has been working alongside detectives to carry out enquiries.

Officers have also been working alongside the force's specialist search teams who have been conducting searches in the vicinity but so far there have been no indication of his whereabouts.

Michael has links to several of the neighbouring towns and villages including Newark, Selston, Ollerton, Cliptsone, Worksop, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Sutton-in-Ashfield, and also further afield in Cleethorpes, Glossop and Derby.

Detective Inspector Kim Binns said: "This morning we have stepped up the search and we have a large number of officers, assisted by volunteers from the Nottinghamshire Search and Rescue Team. We’d like to thank them for their assistance today.

“We are keeping all options open at this stage.

"We know Michael left King’s Mill Hospital, but from there the trail ends so we are currently exploring two possibilities that he has either travelled further afield, as he seems to know lots of people in different areas, or fallen into difficulty and come to some harm nearby hidden away from view.

"We will keep searching and carrying out rigorous enquiries but we are asking members of the public to keep an eye out for Michael and to get in touch with us if they have any information, no matter how small."

His family have also pleaded for him to come home in an emotional appeal.

His son Jason Taylor only recently got back in touch with him having been estranged from him for around 14 years.

He said: "I was really enjoying my seeing my dad again. He'd been back in my life for around five weeks where we would speak on the phone around three times a week and I'd see him about two times a week."

Michael has mental health issues and spends time sleeping rough and sofa-surfing but his son Jason says it's unusual for him not to speak to friends or family for this length of time.

"Clearly he's a colourful character and not without his difficulties but he's very sociable with friends and family all over the place who he would often speak to and visit," he said.

If you have seen Michael or know where he might be, please call us on 101, quoting incident number 758 of May 31, 2020. You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.